The Underground Railroad eBook

His position was such, that the water
swept over and around him almost constantly.
He had some bread in his pocket, which he had intended
for subsistence until he could reach a land of liberty.
It was saturated with sea-water and dissolved to
a pulp.

When our readers remember the high winds
of Friday, and the sudden change to cold during
that night, and the fact that the fugitive had
remained in that situation for three days and nights,
we think it will be conceded that he fully earned his
liberty, and that the “institution,”
which was so intolerable that he was willing to
run the risk of almost certain death to escape
from it had no very great attractions for him.
But the poor man was doomed to disappointment.
The captain ordered the vessel to put into Newcastle,
where, the fugitive, hardly able to stand, was
taken on shore and incarcerated, and where he now
awaits the order of his owner in Savannah.
The following additional particulars are from
the same paper of the 21st.

The Keystone State case.—­Our
article yesterday morning brought us several letters
of inquiry and offers of contributions to aid in
the purchase from his master of the unfortunate inmate
of Newcastle jail. In answer to the former,
we would say, that the steamer Keystone State,
left Savannah, at 9 A.M., last Wednesday.
It was about the same hour next morning that the men
engaged in heaving lead, heard a voice from under
the guards imploring help. A rope was procured,
and the man relieved from his dangerous and suffering
situation. He was well cared for immediately;
a suit of dry clothes was furnished him, and he was
given his share of the contents of the boat pantry.
On arriving at Newcastle, the captain had him
placed in jail, for the purpose, as we are informed,
of taking him back to Savannah.

To those who have offered contributions
so liberally, we answer, that the prospect is,
that only a small amount will be needed—­enough
to fee a lawyer to sue out a writ of habeas corpus.
The salt water fugitive claims to be a free man, and
a native of Philadelphia. He gives his name
as Edward Davis, and says that he formerly lived
at No. 5 Steel’s court, that he was a pupil
in Bird’s school, on Sixth St. above Lombard,
and that he has a sister living at Mr. Diamond’s,
a distiller, on South St. We are not informed
why he was in Georgia, from which he took such
an extraordinary means to effect his escape. If
the above assertion be true, we apprehend little
trouble in restoring the man to his former home.
The claim of the captain to take him back to Savannah,
will not be listened to for a moment by any court.
The only claim the owners of the “Keystone State”
or the captain can have on salt water Davis, is for
half passenger fare; he came half the way as a
fish. A gentleman who came from Wilmington
yesterday, assures us that the case is in good
hands at Newcastle.

FULL PARTICULARS OF THE ABDUCTION, ENSLAVING AND ESCAPE OF DAVIS.
ATTEMPT TO SEDUCE HIM TO SLAVERY AGAIN.